понеделник, 31 октомври 2011 г.

ND1027117

Title: Original Necco Making a Return
Description: The New England Confectionery Company is restoring Necco wafer?s original recipe, after an all-natural version that included purple cabbage and red beet juice failed to find consumer traction.
Page Content:
REVERE, MA ? After an unsuccessful transition from its original recipe to an ?all-natural? version, the New England Confectionery Company (NECC) is reverting to its original recipe for the 164-year old Necco wafer, ABC News reports.
NECC tweaked its recipe two years ago, subbing all-natural ingredients such as purple cabbage, red beet juice, and cocoa powder for coloring and flavor. Lo and behold ? the change was a flop, and sales dropped 35-percent.
?There were stacks and stacks of letters and e-mails that said, ?Why did you do this? You ruined it,?? said Steve Ornell, Necco?s vice president of sales.
The all-natural recipe followed feedback a few years ago from focus groups that expressed distaste for dyes like Yellow 5 and Red 40, which some studies had linked to cancer-causing agents and hyperactivity. The company changed four of the candy?s seven flavors so that the candy could be characterized as all-natural.
After sales dropped, the company reverted to its original recipe and its eight chalky flavors ? chocolate, cinnamon, clove, lemon, licorice, lime, orange and wintergreen ? this summer.
In addition to producing Necco wafers, NECC produces more than eight billion Sweetheart Conversation Hearts each year for Valentine?s Day. It also produces Mary Jane candy chews, Clark candy bars, Mighty Malts, Haviland Thin Mints, and Candy House Candy Buttons.
?
Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising
Formatted Article Date: October 27, 2011

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Ba hits hat-trick as Newcastle win at Stoke

Newcastle move into third in the Premier League after Demba Ba's hat-trick seals a 3-1 victory over Stoke.

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ND0606113

Title: Pump Skimming Continues
Description: A California community becomes the latest locality to alert residents to the potential dangers lurking inside self-service gasoline pumps.
Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising, Petroleum Retailing, Risk Management & Security
Formatted Article Date: June 6, 2011

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ND1028111

Title: ExxonMobil Offers Image Incentive Bonus to Marketers
Description: Company executives are also advising its marketers not to rush to sign brand conversion agreements with dealers whose performance is already sub-par.
Page Content:
IRVING, TEXAS -- ExxonMobil will offer its marketers cash bonuses in the form of a cafeteria-style image incentive program next year. The initiative, now in the final planning stages, is part of an effort by the major to upgrade the appearance of retailer-operated retail outlets and encourage the construction of more.
Traditionally, major oil companies reward retailers who meet their image standards with cents-per-gallon payments, usually spread over three or more years. The new bonus offers from ExxonMobil will be in addition to the company?s existing incentives, sources say. Currently, ExxonMobil pays 1 to 2 cents per gallon for image work at retail, depending on the type of projects and length of payout time. ���
ExxonMobil executives outlined their plan at the company?s national marketer meeting in New Orleans earlier this month.�The program, to be formally introduced early next year, will allow marketers to choose one payment from a menu of three additional offers for each station they operate:
  • A $5,000 payment for high-rise sign repairs or upgrades,
  • $5,000 for LED canopy lighting, or
  • $500 per dispenser for new decals, which may be capped per station.
Additionally, the company will pay marketers a $10,000 bonus if they bring a new store online by January 31, a payment that will increase to $12,000 per store for three or more outlets.
Retailer comments related to the new program were largely positive.
ExxonMobil executives also reassured attendees that the company does not plan to spin off its retail marketing business, as ConocoPhillips has done. It is in the process of selling its retail real estate and supply business to jobbers and expects that its stores will be 100% jobber-operated by year-end 2012.
Executives also offered marketers looking to grow their business a piece of advice:� Don?t rush to sign brand conversion agreements with dealers whose performance is already sub-par.
They said it?s one of the top mistakes they see with marketers: ?Jobbers tend to jump at any new business they?re offered, even to their own detriment. They said we have to learn to walk away from new business if the dealer who is offering it cannot take care of the business he has already.?
-������ Carole Donoghue (caroledonoghue@yahoo.com)
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Content Subject: Petroleum Retailing
Formatted Article Date: October 28, 2011

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Murray flying at wrong time

Why Andy Murray won't want the season to end

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ND1024113

Title: Retailers Heighten Awareness of ?Flash Robs?
Description: With the holiday season approaching, retailers are preparing to protect their stores and staff against mob-mentality robberies.
Page Content: NEW YORK ? Dubbed ?flash robs? by law enforcement, retailers from clothing stores to convenience stores are preparing to protect their operations and staff against these swarms of ?teenagers and young adults who plot via Twitter, phone texts and Facebook to descend on stores and steal merchandise,? writes the Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper reported on recent flash rob incidents:
  • In Philadelphia, about 40 boys swarmed into a suburban Sears in June and stole thousands of dollars in merchandise ? ?pretty much anything else they could snatch, police said.?
  • Retail chains including Filene's Basement, Armani Exchange and The North Face on Chicago?s Michigan Avenue were victims of flash robs this spring.
  • In August in Washington, D.C., surveillance cameras caught a group of 10 young women going into a convenience store and stealing merchandise.
  • NACS Daily communicated similar incidents in convenience stores in Maryland, Las Vegas, Ontario and St. Paul, Minn.
According to the National Retail Federation, flash robs were reported by 10% of the 106 retailers it surveyed in July, including department stores, big-box chains, grocery and drug stores. Security personnel or police nabbed suspects in about half the cases, according to the survey. NRF suggests that retailers and police should monitor social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook for indications that a group is planning to descend on their stores. Also, NRF suggests that workers should alert managers when they see unusually large gatherings of people inside or directly outside the store.
Read Hayes, a University of Florida research scientist who serves as director of the Loss Prevention Research Council, told the Journal that figuring out and subsequently preventing a flash rob is difficult. ?It is mob behavior but it has some pre-meditation which is a new thing,? he said, adding, ?It's still a sporadic thing when you consider the thousands of retail locations some of these chains have. But it's pretty scary for employees, or any customers who happen to be in stores when this happens.?
Content Subject: Operations
Formatted Article Date: October 24, 2011

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ND1031112

Title: Hitting Mailboxes This Week: NACS Magazine
Description: The November issue features full NACS Show coverage, a look at how the government is forcing changes in fuels, category information on wine and nonedible grocery and more.
Page Content: ALEXANDRIA, VA ? Be on the lookout this week for your copy of the November NACS Magazine, featuring complete NACS Show coverage from the general sessions to the more than 50 workshops, to the first-ever NACS Show Virtual and a Trendspotters TweetUp.
Here is a look at what else you?ll find inside the issue:
  • Feature: Third-party settlement firms are contacting retailers to offer assistance in accessing funds for a class action lawsuit against credit card companies ? but do retailers even need the help?
  • Feature: A chance conversation and a NACS Show connection led to business success for NACS member Joe Vonder Haar.
  • Category Close-Up: Some retailers have opted to market their own private-label wine in an effort to sell value-priced wine to their customers and improve on already attractive margins.
  • Ideas 2 Go: Real estate agent Kelly Graham heard that Snuffy?s General Store was for sale. Two weeks later she was behind the counter. She?d been inside only once before purchasing it in September of 2010.
If you?re tired of sharing your copy of NACS Magazine with your colleagues, tell them to get their own! Seriously ?�employees of NACS retail member companies can have their own copy of NACS Magazine sent directly to them. It?s a benefit of being a NACS member, so make sure you?re taking advantage of it.
Coming up in the December issue: trends in display shelving, frozen dispensed beverage?s contribution to our industry?s history, mobile grocery and more. If you?re interested in advertising opportunities, contact Stacey Dodge or Jennifer Nichols.
Content Subject: NACS
Formatted Article Date: October 31, 2011

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NASA Television to Air Space Station Cargo Ship Arrival

NASA Television will provide live launch coverage of a Russian Progress cargo spacecraft on Sunday, Oct. 30.

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ND1028117

Title: Oil Prices Rising?
Description: Industry insiders say more oil companies will see $100 per barrel as the new normal.
Page Content:
LONDON ? This week, several oil companies have indicated that $100 per barrel of crude oil is likely to be the new normal, Reuters reports. That could mean that the price floor for oil is inching upwards over the long term, which might translate into more mergers within the industry.
Royal Dutch Shell and BP Plc both said they were basing project planning on $100-a-barrel oil prices. Ten years ago, the oil industry used a $25 per barrel price for such planning.
?I think you'll find more and more people in the industry using numbers of $90 to $100 a barrel going forward,? said BP CEO Bob Dudley In 2008 before the run-up, BP was using a $60 per barrel model for planning.
In April 2011, oil reached its high point thus far with $127.02, and traded at about $112 yesterday. In 2008, oil topped $147 for its record high.
?It has been pretty stable and robust above $100 this year in what have not been easy macroeconomic conditions. I can't really give a prediction, but it has stayed strong,? Shell CFO Simon Henry said this week.
?We believe the price of energy, while it will be volatile, will be strong going forward,? said Dudley. ?Growth in Asia and the emerging markets continues very, very strong.??
Content Subject: Petroleum Retailing
Formatted Article Date: October 28, 2011

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NASA Television to Air Space Station Cargo Ship Arrival

NASA Television will provide live launch coverage of a Russian Progress cargo spacecraft on Sunday, Oct. 30.

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Tropical Storm 02B (Northern Indian Ocean)



Heavy rain and high towering thunderstorms were all part of Tropical Storm 02B as it moved from the Bay of Bengal over southern Bangladesh ...

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Jibril: Chemical weapons sites found in Libya

Two sites containing chemical weapons were found in Libya, National Transitional Council's outgoing prime minister Mahmoud Jibril said Sunday.

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ND1024111

Title: Washington Report: Durbin Chastises Wells Fargo CEO
Description: The senator wrote that the bank?s new consumer fee is a plain attempt to increase profits ? even though the bank just reported record-high third quarter profits.
Page Content: Week Ahead
If you encounter an example of where the Durbin Amendment is making a difference in your community please take a picture and/or send a quick email to Lyle Beckwith with a description of what you saw. With the new rules only being in effect for a few weeks, it is important for us to know what you are experiencing so we can deliver your message to Capitol Hill. We are already hearing stories of retailers giving discounts for cash or debit, or creating their own loyalty or rewards programs to incentivize customers to less expensive forms of payment.�� Critics of swipe fee reform are claiming that there are no pass-thru savings to customers taking place. We need to document as many examples of retailer discounting/rewards as we can.
Online Lottery Sales
On October 25, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade will hold a hearing titled ?Internet Gaming: Is there a Safe Bet?? NACS is following this issue as state legislators across the country are lobbying the federal government to include online lottery sales into legislation moving forward. NACS is strongly opposed to the legalization of online lottery sales. Read NACS Daily tomorrow for an in-depth breakdown of what occurred at the hearing and any actions NACS members might need to take.
Week in Review
Interchange
On October 19, Senator Durbin sent a letter to Wells Fargo President and CEO John Stumpf following the announcement that Wells Fargo would charge its customers three dollars every month to access their money with a Wells Fargo debit card in Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. Durbin wrote: ?Wells Fargo will still profit lucratively on debit transactions simply through the interchange revenue you will receive under the Fed?s regulation.� Your spokesperson?s claim that Wells Fargo needs to charge all its customers an additional monthly fee of more than $3 in order to make up the ?cost? of providing debit cards simply does not add up.�Instead of making up costs, your new consumer fee appears to be a plain attempt to increase your profits ? even though your bank just reported third quarter profits that hit a record high.?
Other News
Content Subject: Government Relations
Formatted Article Date: October 24, 2011

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ND1028112

Title: High Court to Consider Hearing Health-Care Reform Challenge
Description: On Nov. 10, the U.S. Supreme Court will meet to decide whether the health-care reform lawsuits will make the court?s docket.
Page Content:
WASHINGTON ? The U.S. Supreme Court will begin its review of challenges to the health-care reform law on Nov. 10 during a private conference, The Hill reports. The justices could reveal its decision as early as Nov. 14, although most cases are not decided that quickly.
Five of the six separate petitions filed requesting the court?s ruling will be before the judges. A lower court had previously dismissed a sixth case filed by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.
At issue on the five cases is the constitutionality of the individual coverage mandate in the health care law. The November conference will be the first formal meeting on the cases. The justices will consider whether to hear any of the lawsuits, which one might be put on the docket and how to merge the issues addressed in the briefs.
Legal experts predict that the justices will accept the suit from the National Federation of Independent Business and 26 states. The NFIB, those states, plus the Obama administration have picked that lawsuit as the one the court should hear. The administration had bypassed the appeals court in the hope that the high court would hear this case.
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Content Subject: Government Relations
Formatted Article Date: October 28, 2011

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Bowler Melmore wants more support

Devon's Commonwealth Games gold medal winning bowlers Natalie Melmore calls for more support for the sport's elite players.

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Kindle Fire

With September TWENTY-EIGHT, 2011, Amazon. com proclaimed a different product from their Kindle brand. This brand-new Kindle model is often a entire coloration gadget that enables anyone in order to go through publications and also see broadcast tv, view movie channels, learn journals, engage in apps, in addition to look at online. The particular Kindle Fire is definitely staying released upon The fall of 21 YEARS OLD, 2011, simply just in time for the Seasonal year. Taking a look at that success Amazon offers featuring its previous Kindle products, the brand new you is sure to become your click.

The actual Amazon Kindle Shoot permits you to admittance through EIGHTEEN k items of storage devices, as well as films, journals, classified ads, Broadcast tv, viral marketing, in addition to mmorpgs. They're considered around the device's 8 inch attractive coloration effect display display. World wide web exploring executed through the innovative Amazon Silk, a cell phone designed because of the corporation to offer sooner page tons and transit moments taking that Shoot to be able to surf the world wide web.

8 GB connected with interior storeroom can be obtained for the Criticism. This amount of ram retains roughly 60 applications along with 12 movies, 900 songs, and also A FEW, 000 books. Battery lifetime isn't just like the other Kindle editions, nevertheless they don't take place approximately doing exactly what that Kindle Fire can certainly. Just one cost can offer 8-10 hrs involving energy with regard to uninterrupted looking at. It will eventually additionally tackle related to SEVEN 1/2 a long time with online video media playback prior to needing to become recharged - kindle fire covers.
That is a fantastic eReader along with product all in a that is certainly easy for you to transportation. Evaluating FOURTEEN. 6TH oz ., this can be a compact unit that may be stored in a single hands. The actual Spice actions 7. 5 VARIOUS x 4. 7 x 0. 1 OUT OF 3 inches, making it uncomplicated to sling within your case. Defensive conditions are also available for that Kindle Criticism at Amazon. com.

Mackay hails 'ice cool' Marshall

Malky Mackay praises goalkeeper David Marshall as the "inspired" Scottish international ensures Cardiff earn a Championship point at Leeds.

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6 killed after blast near relief center in Kandahar

Six people are dead after an explosion Monday outside the International Relief and Development office in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

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Can Formula One succeed in India?

India is in the fast lane. The trillion-plus-dollar economy, Asia's largest after Japan and China, is set to host the world's fastest sport this weekend.

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Alabama Students To Chat With Space Station Commander

Students gathered at Carver High School in Birmingham, Ala., will speak with Expedition 29 Commander Mike Fossum aboard the International Space Station at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Friday, Oct. 21.

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Chicago ease to Wembley victory

The Chicago Bears withstand a late fightback by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win 24-18 in the annual NFL game at Wembley.

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ND1027117

Title: Original Necco Making a Return
Description: The New England Confectionery Company is restoring Necco wafer?s original recipe, after an all-natural version that included purple cabbage and red beet juice failed to find consumer traction.
Page Content:
REVERE, MA ? After an unsuccessful transition from its original recipe to an ?all-natural? version, the New England Confectionery Company (NECC) is reverting to its original recipe for the 164-year old Necco wafer, ABC News reports.
NECC tweaked its recipe two years ago, subbing all-natural ingredients such as purple cabbage, red beet juice, and cocoa powder for coloring and flavor. Lo and behold ? the change was a flop, and sales dropped 35-percent.
?There were stacks and stacks of letters and e-mails that said, ?Why did you do this? You ruined it,?? said Steve Ornell, Necco?s vice president of sales.
The all-natural recipe followed feedback a few years ago from focus groups that expressed distaste for dyes like Yellow 5 and Red 40, which some studies had linked to cancer-causing agents and hyperactivity. The company changed four of the candy?s seven flavors so that the candy could be characterized as all-natural.
After sales dropped, the company reverted to its original recipe and its eight chalky flavors ? chocolate, cinnamon, clove, lemon, licorice, lime, orange and wintergreen ? this summer.
In addition to producing Necco wafers, NECC produces more than eight billion Sweetheart Conversation Hearts each year for Valentine?s Day. It also produces Mary Jane candy chews, Clark candy bars, Mighty Malts, Haviland Thin Mints, and Candy House Candy Buttons.
?
Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising
Formatted Article Date: October 27, 2011

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ND1027112

Title: Pennsylvania Governor Reviewing Liquor Privatization Plans
Description: Governor Corbett supports turning over control of the state?s alcohol industry and is studying a plan to auction retail and wholesale licenses.
Page Content:
HARRISBURG, PA ? Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announced earlier this week the completion of a study period to assess privatization of Pennsylvania?s Liquor Control Board.
"Now begins the process of thoroughly reviewing each proposal and determining the best solution for all citizens of Pennsylvania and consumers,'' Corbett said. "Pennsylvania should not be in the business of selling alcohol. It's time to get state government out of the retail trade business and instead focus on essential public services ? that's what taxpayers expect of us."
The governor commissioned Public Financial Management (PFM) to analyze the state?s current system and evaluate prospects for privatizing wholesale and retail wine and liquor operations.
After evaluating privatization options, and assessing industry data to predict financial performance under various scenarios, PFM concluded that a privatized system affords Pennsylvania the best financial prospects as well as improved efficiency for its residents.
Accordingly, PFM issued a 300-page report recommending the creation of retail and wholesale liquor licenses, auctioning them to the highest bidders.
The governor said he would now review the study and evaluate viable options, including how to best disburse revenue generated from license sales.
"I support taking the state out of the liquor business and putting it back into the free market,'' Corbett said. "We need a proposal that limits the number of retail outlets to protect our neighborhoods. At the same time, the state needs to exit a business it should never have been in to begin with. Captive markets do not make for a free people.?
The report is available at Pennsylvania?s Office of the Budget website.?
Content Subject: Operations
Formatted Article Date: October 27, 2011

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ND1028114

Title: Minnesota Association Won?t Advocate for Prepay Pumps Only
Description: The Minnesota Service Station Association decides to not ask the Legislature to put a prepay law on the books next year.
Page Content:
COON RAPIDS, Minn. ? Several municipalities in Minnesota are considering requirement of prepay pumps, but the Minnesota Service Station Association (MSSA) will not press state lawmakers to make prepayment state law next year, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
?We?re still Minnesota Nice, but a lot of people come in and say, ?I can't believe I can come in and pay,?? said Andrea Drake, MSSA president. As of press time, the MSSA board feels that city councils should pursue this matter and not the statehouse.
In Coon Rapids, fuel thefts have been on the rise and the city council is likely to consider a proposal requiring all stations within city limits to have prepayment before filling up. Coon Rapids Police Chief Brad Wise said officers typically have trouble pursuing fuel thefts and such a law would dramatically lower drive-offs.
?All of crime prevention is seeing if you can reduce crime in one area so you're able to concentrate on other areas,? said Wise. ?There's a cost that's imposed on the Police Department, in terms of extra calls for service. This is about less government, not more.?
Green Bay officials declined to approve a measure that would have required prepayment at the pump. ?The discussions at the committee level focused a lot on the balance of the government intervening in private business and dictating what private businesses do," said Assistant City Attorney Kail Becker. ?It was very much a philosophical debate, rather than a practical debate.?
Read about the history of self-serve and prepay gasoline in ?Self-Serve Evolution? in the October issue of NACS magazine.
Content Subject: Petroleum Retailing
Formatted Article Date: October 28, 2011

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Jibril: Chemical weapons sites found in Libya

Two sites containing chemical weapons were found in Libya, National Transitional Council's outgoing prime minister Mahmoud Jibril said Sunday.

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неделя, 30 октомври 2011 г.

ND1028117

Title: Oil Prices Rising?
Description: Industry insiders say more oil companies will see $100 per barrel as the new normal.
Page Content:
LONDON ? This week, several oil companies have indicated that $100 per barrel of crude oil is likely to be the new normal, Reuters reports. That could mean that the price floor for oil is inching upwards over the long term, which might translate into more mergers within the industry.
Royal Dutch Shell and BP Plc both said they were basing project planning on $100-a-barrel oil prices. Ten years ago, the oil industry used a $25 per barrel price for such planning.
?I think you'll find more and more people in the industry using numbers of $90 to $100 a barrel going forward,? said BP CEO Bob Dudley In 2008 before the run-up, BP was using a $60 per barrel model for planning.
In April 2011, oil reached its high point thus far with $127.02, and traded at about $112 yesterday. In 2008, oil topped $147 for its record high.
?It has been pretty stable and robust above $100 this year in what have not been easy macroeconomic conditions. I can't really give a prediction, but it has stayed strong,? Shell CFO Simon Henry said this week.
?We believe the price of energy, while it will be volatile, will be strong going forward,? said Dudley. ?Growth in Asia and the emerging markets continues very, very strong.??
Content Subject: Petroleum Retailing
Formatted Article Date: October 28, 2011

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ND1031115

Title: Wendy?s Tests New Ultra-Modern Concepts in Canada
Description: Features include new menu items and a completely redesigned interior and exterior to help convey ?fresh? and enhance the customer experience.
Page Content:
ETOBICOKE, ON ? Last week Wendy?s announced that customers in Etobicoke were among the first to try out new menu items in a new, ultra-modern setting as part of the QSR?s testing of four new concept stores in North America.
Wendy?s is testing Redhead Roasters proprietary coffee and fresh baked goods including oatmeal bars, cookies, muffins and brownies alongside a new customer ordering process, digital menu boards, new service staff uniforms and redesigned product packaging.
"This is a very different experience from what Wendy's customers are used to," said Ron Baugh, senior vice president of Wendy's Restaurants of Canada. "Three years of research and feedback from thousands of people are reflected in this exciting new concept store. The changes are more than cosmetic. We've updated our customer experience indoors and out as well."
The new restaurant concept has been designed to deliver more open space, brighter dining rooms with bigger windows and a variety of seating options from booths to high tops to cozy chairs around a fireplace. The new concept is also equipped with free Wi-Fi. Customers can view the baking and prep areas to convey the notion of ?fresh.?
Design elements include natural colors, brick and wood materials and bold use of the color red. A bright red center wall celebrates Wendy's heritage with the well-known quote from founder Dave Thomas, "Quality is our recipe," and signage in the new entry way reads, "Welcome to real. Welcome to fresh. Welcome to Wendy's Etobicoke". Each sign in the new stores will be tailored to their home cities.
The company will evaluate the four concepts based on customer feedback and consumer research.�A second new concept location is slated to open in Kingston this December.
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Content Subject: International
Formatted Article Date: October 31, 2011

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ND1028115

Title: Fruit Prices Jump Higher
Description: The cost for fruit this year will be 3 percent to 4 percent more than last year.
Page Content:
WASHINGTON ? There?s no good news on the food price front these days. From corn futures leaping 16 percent over the past year to cattle gaining 21 percent and hogs advancing 26 percent, consumers are getting squeezed on all sides at the grocery store. Now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces that fruit prices are rising between 3 percent and 4 percent this year over 2010 prices, Bloomberg reports.
The increase in fruit prices pushed overall U.S. food prices to advance more than predicted in September, soaring quicker than 2008. Last month, the USDA predicted that food prices would jump 3 percent to 4 percent, but with fresh-fruit prices gains, those numbers move to 3.5 percent and 4.5 percent.
?Cost pressures on wholesale- and retail-food prices due to higher food-commodity and energy prices, along with strengthening global food demand, have pushed inflation projections upward for 2011,? said Richard Volpe, an economist on food inflation for the agency, in the report?s note.
A few weeks ago, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer food costs gained 0.4 percent last month, coming on the heels of a 12-month increase of 4.7 percent.
However, the higher numbers for this year have not led the USDA to change its 2012 food-inflation estimate, which stayed at 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent. Contributing to the lower numbers are 1 percent decrease in the projected cost of eggs, and a half-point increase in dairy products costs.
A hotter-than-anticipated summer lowered corn production, which will trigger additional food price increases. Earlier this year, the United Nations? International Fund for Agricultural Development said global food prices would continue to be high.
?
Content Subject: Operations
Formatted Article Date: October 28, 2011

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Qantas ordered to end labor dispute

An Australian workplace relations tribunal on Sunday ordered Qantas to end a labor dispute that has left tens of thousands of passengers stranded worldwide. It is unclear when flights will resume.

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ND1028113

Title: India Embraces Fast Food
Description: QSRs are finding great success in the country, as more global chains add traditional Indian ingredients and spices to their menu items.
Page Content:
NEW DELHI, India ? From Western quick-service restaurants like McDonald?s and Pizza Hut to homegrown chains like Karim?s and Sagar Ratna, Indians have discovered the joys of fast food, Global Post reports. The country?s fast-food market has topped $13 billion and more growth is predicted.
?QSRs are quite successful in India,? said Arun Chanda with Mint Hospitality Consultancy. ?Over the last five years, a lot of Indian companies have started getting into the franchising model and expanding into different cities.?
Global chains have added traditional Indian ingredients and spices to menus in an effort to appeal to more people. Even upscale restaurateurs are looking into QSR concepts, said Chanda.
Indian?s young popular ? 60 percent are under age 30 ? drives the expansion effort. The fast-food market is advancing by 25 percent to 30 percent annually, leading McDonald?s, Yum Brands and Domino?s, among other global brands, to open locations in secondary locations. For example, McDonald?s has plans to have twice its current India store numbers by 2014, while Yum Brands will add 1,000 locations ? including 500 KFC outlets ? by 2015.
Other American brands, such as Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King and Cinnabon, are also opening stores at a rapid clip in India. The chains have been more sensitive to Indian culture and refrain from serving many beef dishes, instead focusing on vegetarian or chicken menu items.
?We've now been in India for over 15 years, and we've actually seen the change right before our eyes,? said Amit Jatia, vice chairman of McDonald?s India. "The market is changing very significantly. People are eating out far more often than before, and I think the availability of international QSR brands has brought about that change.?
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Content Subject: International
Formatted Article Date: October 28, 2011

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Leading ladies

Jonathan Overend on how strong leadership has made women's tennis better

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GB and Dutch buy gift for Shone

The Great Britain and Netherlands bobsleigh teams join together to buy a tablet computer for Serita Shone after she fractured her spine in a training accident.

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Simoncelli: A star who shined so bright

Marco Simoncelli was not just one of Italy's most promising motorcycling stars, he brought sunshine into a hard world, in hard times.

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New Jersey seal deal for F1 race

New Jersey drivers, long the butt of bad driver jokes, will soon give up some of their roadways to professional racers, as state officials have reached an agreement to bring Formula One racing to the Garden State.

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ND1027111

Title: NACS Members Now Have Access to ServSafe Food Handler Guide
Description: The 53-page ServSafe Food Handler Guide (5th edition) can be purchased for $5 and is only available to NACS members.
Page Content:
ALEXANDRIA, VA - NACS members now have access to the ServSafe� Food Handler Guide, an affordable solution for in-store food safety training that easily integrates food safety into any existing onboarding training program.
NACS CAF� (The Center for Achieving Foodservice Excellence) has co-branded this new training booklet developed with the National Restaurant Association?s education group. The ServSafe Food Handler Guide uses the same principles and instructional design as the ServSafe Manager Certification Program, and covers the following key areas: food safety, personal hygiene, cross-contamination and allergens, time and temperature, and cleaning and sanitation.
The 53-page ServSafe Food Handler Guide (5th edition) can be purchased for $5 and is only available to NACS members. The booklet includes real-world workplace scenarios to help users apply classroom lessons to the work environment. Content is based on the 2009 supplement to the 2005 Food and Drug Administration Food Code update and a recent employee job task analysis. The program has been designed to be completed in two hours or less; the booklet includes a 40-question, non-proctored exam to measure knowledge and understanding of food safety. It also comes with a certificate of completion suitable for framing.
?The ServSafe Food Handler Guide is a cost-effective solution for use by all convenience retailers that provide foodservice offerings,? said Dr. Nancy Caldarola, education director for NACS CAF�. ?This Guide is the best educational value for food safety training available to NACS members.?
Although not required in most states and regulatory jurisdictions, the ServSafe Food Handler Guide meets the requirements of California?s food-handler training law.
?While not a replacement for the mandated ServSafe� Food Protection Manager Certification that is required in many jurisdictions across the country and in Canada, this program allows all employees at a company to work together to raise the bar on food safety and show our customers that we care about the service and safety of the foods and beverages we sell,? noted Dr. Caldarola.
NACS members can order the ServSafe Food Handler Guide booklets (SKU number 10080023) for $5 each. While companies may elect to order one booklet for the entire company, it is recommended that each person taking the assessment use a new booklet.
?
Content Subject: Foodservice, NACS
Formatted Article Date: October 27, 2011

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NASA Sets Media Opportunities for Undersea Mission (Update)

Journalists will have the opportunity to cover the 15th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, from up close or afar.

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Muster takes final bow in Vienna

Former French Open champion Thomas Muster finally retires from tennis at the age of 44 after defeat at the Austrian Open in Vienna.

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Vettel dominates Indian Grand Prix

Germany's double world champion Sebastian Vettel produces another dominant drive, leading from start to finish to cruise to an imperious win in Sunday's inaugural Indian Grand Prix at Greater Noida, New Delhi.

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ND1025114

Title: McDonald?s Expands McBites
Description: McDonald?s is planning an aggressive food and marketing push 2012, including new menu items such as McBites, a new Cherry Berry Chiller and blueberry banana nut oatmeal.
Page Content:
OAK BROOK, IL ? Following successful testing in Australia and Detroit, McDonald?s will expand Chicken McBites to restaurants nationwide beginning next spring as a rotating promotional menu item, Crain?s Chicago Business reports.
The introduction highlights an aggressive food and marketing calendar for the chain in 2012, which includes a 100% fruit juice slush called Cherry Berry Chiller and blueberry banana nut oatmeal.
McBites are small, nugget-size pieces of fried chicken, the poultry version of popcorn shrimp. They will be available in packages of 4, 6 and 12 ounces and priced from $1.99 to $4.99, accompanied by dipping sauces.
McDonald?s reported strong third quarter gains last week, crediting several menu items for the performance, among them: McNuggets, which grew 10% for the quarter; new fruit smoothies, which boosted McCaf� sales by 16%; and breakfast items, which rose 20% over last year.
While commodity prices squeezed margins, McDonald?s offset that with modest price hikes, a strategy that hasn?t been ruled out for next year.
?We will continue to evaluate additional price increases in light of this inflationary environment always balancing our goal of driving traffic and market share gains with effectively managing the impact of rising costs,? said CFO Peter Bensen.
McDonald?s is also bringing back the McRib ?�the boneless sandwich with a cult-like following ?�at all U.S. locations through Nov. 14.?
Content Subject: Foodservice
Formatted Article Date: October 25, 2011

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ND1024114

Title: Food Labels Could Get ?Energy Star?-Like Rating
Description: A new food labeling system proposed in an Institute of Medicine report suggests that a rating symbol on products could help consumers make healthier food choices.
Page Content:
WASHINGTON ? Similar to how an Energy Star symbol can help consumers make energy-efficient choices about refrigerators and air conditioners, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report last week advising the government that food labels should have a similar rating symbol to help shoppers make healthier choices about the foods and beverages they buy.
The Washington Post reports that front-of-package label would provide nutritional information ?at a glance? that shows the ?most important information for health? such as calories per serving, the actual size of the serving and contents such as certain fats, sodium and added sugars.
Experts from the IOM told federal regulators that the ?epidemic of diet-related chronic diseases warrants a single rating system to help consumers sort through nutritional information,? writes the newspaper, adding that the label would be simple enough for kids to use. The institute suggests in its report that current back-of-pack labels are too confusing for consumers.
?Simply providing information about healthy choices has not consistently translated into changes in dietary behavior,? said Ellen Wartella, head of the panel and a professor of communications, psychology and human development at Northwestern University.
The Food and Drug Administration, which co-sponsored the study, has supported a front-of-package label since 2009.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association responded to the IOM?s report, noting that in January, the group along with the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) launched Facts Up Front, a fact-based front of pack nutrition labeling system to help consumers make informed decisions about the products the buy.
Facts Up Front was developed through extensive consumer testing that showed consumers want fact-based information on calories, saturated fat, sugar and sodium, and where appropriate, nutrients to encourage.�
GMA notes that IOM?s report adds a perspective to the national dialogue about front-of-pack nutrition labeling, but in the meantime, food and beverage companies have already developed ?a real-world program that delivers real value to real consumers in real time.?
GMA said ?[C]onsumers have told us that they want simple and easy to use information and that they should be trusted to make decisions for themselves and their families. The most effective programs are those that consumers embrace, and consumers have said repeatedly that they want to make their own judgments, rather than have government tell them what they should and should not eat.�That is the guiding principle of Facts Up Front, and why we have concerns about the untested, interpretive approach suggested by the IOM committee.?
?
Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising
Formatted Article Date: October 24, 2011

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Stewart calls for safety changes

The tragic death of English driver Dan Wheldon after a horror race crash in the U.S. should lead to changes in the IndyCar division, according to Formula One legend Jackie Stewart.

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ND1027117

Title: Original Necco Making a Return
Description: The New England Confectionery Company is restoring Necco wafer?s original recipe, after an all-natural version that included purple cabbage and red beet juice failed to find consumer traction.
Page Content:
REVERE, MA ? After an unsuccessful transition from its original recipe to an ?all-natural? version, the New England Confectionery Company (NECC) is reverting to its original recipe for the 164-year old Necco wafer, ABC News reports.
NECC tweaked its recipe two years ago, subbing all-natural ingredients such as purple cabbage, red beet juice, and cocoa powder for coloring and flavor. Lo and behold ? the change was a flop, and sales dropped 35-percent.
?There were stacks and stacks of letters and e-mails that said, ?Why did you do this? You ruined it,?? said Steve Ornell, Necco?s vice president of sales.
The all-natural recipe followed feedback a few years ago from focus groups that expressed distaste for dyes like Yellow 5 and Red 40, which some studies had linked to cancer-causing agents and hyperactivity. The company changed four of the candy?s seven flavors so that the candy could be characterized as all-natural.
After sales dropped, the company reverted to its original recipe and its eight chalky flavors ? chocolate, cinnamon, clove, lemon, licorice, lime, orange and wintergreen ? this summer.
In addition to producing Necco wafers, NECC produces more than eight billion Sweetheart Conversation Hearts each year for Valentine?s Day. It also produces Mary Jane candy chews, Clark candy bars, Mighty Malts, Haviland Thin Mints, and Candy House Candy Buttons.
?
Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising
Formatted Article Date: October 27, 2011

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ND1024114

Title: Food Labels Could Get ?Energy Star?-Like Rating
Description: A new food labeling system proposed in an Institute of Medicine report suggests that a rating symbol on products could help consumers make healthier food choices.
Page Content:
WASHINGTON ? Similar to how an Energy Star symbol can help consumers make energy-efficient choices about refrigerators and air conditioners, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report last week advising the government that food labels should have a similar rating symbol to help shoppers make healthier choices about the foods and beverages they buy.
The Washington Post reports that front-of-package label would provide nutritional information ?at a glance? that shows the ?most important information for health? such as calories per serving, the actual size of the serving and contents such as certain fats, sodium and added sugars.
Experts from the IOM told federal regulators that the ?epidemic of diet-related chronic diseases warrants a single rating system to help consumers sort through nutritional information,? writes the newspaper, adding that the label would be simple enough for kids to use. The institute suggests in its report that current back-of-pack labels are too confusing for consumers.
?Simply providing information about healthy choices has not consistently translated into changes in dietary behavior,? said Ellen Wartella, head of the panel and a professor of communications, psychology and human development at Northwestern University.
The Food and Drug Administration, which co-sponsored the study, has supported a front-of-package label since 2009.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association responded to the IOM?s report, noting that in January, the group along with the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) launched Facts Up Front, a fact-based front of pack nutrition labeling system to help consumers make informed decisions about the products the buy.
Facts Up Front was developed through extensive consumer testing that showed consumers want fact-based information on calories, saturated fat, sugar and sodium, and where appropriate, nutrients to encourage.�
GMA notes that IOM?s report adds a perspective to the national dialogue about front-of-pack nutrition labeling, but in the meantime, food and beverage companies have already developed ?a real-world program that delivers real value to real consumers in real time.?
GMA said ?[C]onsumers have told us that they want simple and easy to use information and that they should be trusted to make decisions for themselves and their families. The most effective programs are those that consumers embrace, and consumers have said repeatedly that they want to make their own judgments, rather than have government tell them what they should and should not eat.�That is the guiding principle of Facts Up Front, and why we have concerns about the untested, interpretive approach suggested by the IOM committee.?
?
Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising
Formatted Article Date: October 24, 2011

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ND1027116

Title: Lottery Tickets Available Online for Floridians ? For Now
Description: New website offers a lottery service to Floridians, and lottery officials are trying to figure out whether the venture is legal.
Page Content:
MIAMI ?�A new website offers a Powerball purchasing service for Floridians, and Florida Lottery officials are scrambling to figure out whether the venture is legal, the Miami Herald reports.
LottoGopher.com launched earlier this week, and Lottery officials are keeping mum until it explores and determines the site?s legality. But Beverly Hills-based entrepreneur James Morel, creator of the site, is confident his venture will pass legal scrutiny and find a receptive audience.
?It seems obvious,? Morel said. ?Lotteries have this old-school manner of doing things. Every business is online. Why are we not buying lottery tickets online??
Florida law prohibits the sale of lottery tickets online, as does California, though Morel successfully launched LottoGopher in the Golden State last year, and it?s still operating.
The reason? The site doesn?t actually print or sell Mega Millions or Powerball tickets (actions that are prohibited by law); rather, it acts as a courier, collecting money via credit card and then purchasing the tickets for customers at an authorized lottery dealer.
The company doesn?t assess a surcharge to the per-ticket costs, but instead charges customers a monthly membership fee, between $10 and $20. Customers receive 100-percent of their winning, which are credited back to their online accounts.
Morel maintains LottoGopher is legal, because every ticket purchased is the customer?s property, and member accounts are instantly funded with winnings. He said the resistance he expects to encounter in Florida stems from envy.
?States can?t do this, but they want to,? Morel said. ?We?re excited to bring it to Florida.?
Meanwhile, lines have been growing at convenience stores as the Powerball jackpot was expected to reach $173 million for last night?s drawing. If no one wins the jackpot, expect even bigger lines before the the next drawing, this Saturday.?
Content Subject: Operations
Formatted Article Date: October 27, 2011

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Liverpool wait on Gerrard injury

Liverpool are to assess the extent of Steven Gerrard's latest injury problem next week after he missed the win at West Brom on Saturday.

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Wenger hails 'on-fire' striker Van Persie

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes hat-trick hero Robin van Persie is benefiting from playing in a side with an attacking philosophy.

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ND1027115

Title: Walmart Selling Square Credit Card Swiper
Description: The mobile payments reader, which attaches to a smartphone, is experiencing rapid growth.
Page Content: NEW YORK ? Mobile payments company Square has hit the retailing big time, with its mobile credit card processing system now available at Walmart stores, CNN Money reports.
The square card reader attaches to smartphones, allowing owners to accept a credit card payment, for which Square retains a 2.75-percent processing fee.
The availability of the Square system has expanded rapidly, from 200 retail locations this summer to roughly 9,000 today. It is also available at Target, RadioShack, Best Buy and Apple.
The reader price is $9.99, though customers ? typically small business owners ? earn credit on the purchase by registering for a Square account.
Square said it has sold 800,000 card readers to merchants and is processing $2 billion in payments annually.
Content Subject: Technology
Formatted Article Date: October 27, 2011

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Aberdeen 1-2 Rangers

Second-half goals by Kyle Lafferty and Nikica Jelavic seal the points for Rangers against 10-man Aberdeen in a fierce Scottish Premier League match at Pittodrie.

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NBA row drags on

How US strike gives perspective to English football

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събота, 29 октомври 2011 г.

NASA Television to Air Next Space Station Crew Rotation

NASA Television will broadcast the launch of three new International Space Station residents and the return of three crew members in November.

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Kvitova sets up Azarenka showdown

Petra Kvitova comes back from a set down to beat Samantha Stosur and set up a meeting with with Victoria Azarenka in Sunday's WTA Championships final.

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Former Brazilian president to undergo chemotherapy

Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will begin chemotherapy in the coming days to treat a tumor in his larynx, a hospital official said Saturday.

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ND1024112

Title: California Adopts Nation?s First Cap-and-Trade Program
Description: The California Air Resources Board unanimously approved greenhouse gas regulations that seek to reduce pollution and address climate change.
Page Content: LOS ANGELES ? The California Air Resources Board on Thursday unanimously adopted the nation's first state-administered cap-and-trade regulations, designed to put in place air pollution controls that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Los Angeles Times reported last week that the ?complex market system for the first time puts a price on heat-trapping pollution by allowing California's dirtiest industries to trade carbon credits.?
Prior to making its decision, the Times wrote that the air board heard ?scathing comments? from union workers fearful of losing their jobs and ?a parade of industry representatives? who said that the regulations are anti-business. However, those comments were not enough; the eight-member board approved the measure with ?scattered applause,? and Chairman Mary Nichols said, "We've done something important,? adding, "Cap-and-trade is a new tool that for the first time allows us to reward companies for doing the right thing.?
Cap-and-trade is the centerpiece of California's climate change law that mandates a reduction in carbon pollution to 1990 levels by 2020. Beginning in 2013 the state's largest carbon emitters will be required to meet the caps or buy credits if they cannot. Phase 2 of compliance starts in 2015 and could include 85% of California's emissions sources.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released a statement noting that the vote last week was ?closely watched by other states and, if the program is deemed successful, it will likely serve as a model for future markets. The U.S. Congress has rejected a similar national program.?
At the NACS Show Closing General Session earlier this month, Tom Robinson, president of Robinson Oil Co. (Santa Clara, Calif.), took the gavel as the new NACS chairman. During his speech he commented how California has gone from an innovative fuel marketing state to a legislative and regulatory haven.
Gary Gero, president of the L.A.-based Climate Action Reserve, echoed this sentiment, noting that if California ?gets it right? on cap-and-trade, other states will be looking to follow suit.
"People watch what California does and do emulate it,? Gero told the newspaper, adding, ?Future cap-and-trade programs are going to pick up a lot of the design features we are implementing here. You'll see regional programs develop. They will put pressure on the federal government. It will send out ripples around the country."
Content Subject: Government Relations
Formatted Article Date: October 24, 2011

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ND1026113

Title: Getting More Than Gas at the Pump
Description: A recent study suggests that fuel pumps are havens for germs.
Page Content: ATLANTA ? Gasoline pumps can cause more pain than in your wallet. Researchers for Kimberly-Clark Professional have discovered that filling up brings a person?s hands in contact with the highest number of germs than from any other surface, Reuters reports.
In six U.S. cities, hygiene specialist took samples from hundreds of surfaces to uncover which hosted more viruses and bacteria. Gasoline station pumps topped the list, followed by public mailbox handles, escalator rails and ATM buttons. Other everyday items that made the filthiest list include parking meters and kiosks, crosswalk buttons and mall-located vending machine buttons.
?It comes down to the fact that nobody cleans the things that you're going to touch on a daily basis,? said Dr. Kelly Arehart, program leader of Kimberly-Clark's Healthy Workplace Project.
The swabs were analyzed for adenosine triphosphate ? a high reading could indicate that bacteria might transmit sickness, the researchers said. The teams visited Philadelphia, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta to collect their samples.
To avoid contamination from touching these and other surfaces, researchers strongly suggested washing hands frequently.
Content Subject: Petroleum Retailing
Formatted Article Date: October 26, 2011

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Golder title is 'stepping-stone'

Jersey bobsleigh driver Will Golder says his British Championship title in Germany is a "stepping-stone" for his career.

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Arsenal shock Chelsea in eight-goal thriller

Robin van Persie scores a hat-trick as Arsenal win 5-3 at Chelsea in a stunning derby to move seventh in the Premier League.

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Celtic 0-0 Hibernian

Celtic are left 12 points behind leaders Rangers after being held at home by a stuffy Hibernian side.

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NASA Hurricane Updates on Twitter



Check NASA's Hurricane Twitter feed for a daily behind the scenes look at storms in the tropics.

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Olympic sport this week

Build-up continues for GB's Olympic hopefuls

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ND1024112

Title: California Adopts Nation?s First Cap-and-Trade Program
Description: The California Air Resources Board unanimously approved greenhouse gas regulations that seek to reduce pollution and address climate change.
Page Content: LOS ANGELES ? The California Air Resources Board on Thursday unanimously adopted the nation's first state-administered cap-and-trade regulations, designed to put in place air pollution controls that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Los Angeles Times reported last week that the ?complex market system for the first time puts a price on heat-trapping pollution by allowing California's dirtiest industries to trade carbon credits.?
Prior to making its decision, the Times wrote that the air board heard ?scathing comments? from union workers fearful of losing their jobs and ?a parade of industry representatives? who said that the regulations are anti-business. However, those comments were not enough; the eight-member board approved the measure with ?scattered applause,? and Chairman Mary Nichols said, "We've done something important,? adding, "Cap-and-trade is a new tool that for the first time allows us to reward companies for doing the right thing.?
Cap-and-trade is the centerpiece of California's climate change law that mandates a reduction in carbon pollution to 1990 levels by 2020. Beginning in 2013 the state's largest carbon emitters will be required to meet the caps or buy credits if they cannot. Phase 2 of compliance starts in 2015 and could include 85% of California's emissions sources.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released a statement noting that the vote last week was ?closely watched by other states and, if the program is deemed successful, it will likely serve as a model for future markets. The U.S. Congress has rejected a similar national program.?
At the NACS Show Closing General Session earlier this month, Tom Robinson, president of Robinson Oil Co. (Santa Clara, Calif.), took the gavel as the new NACS chairman. During his speech he commented how California has gone from an innovative fuel marketing state to a legislative and regulatory haven.
Gary Gero, president of the L.A.-based Climate Action Reserve, echoed this sentiment, noting that if California ?gets it right? on cap-and-trade, other states will be looking to follow suit.
"People watch what California does and do emulate it,? Gero told the newspaper, adding, ?Future cap-and-trade programs are going to pick up a lot of the design features we are implementing here. You'll see regional programs develop. They will put pressure on the federal government. It will send out ripples around the country."
Content Subject: Government Relations
Formatted Article Date: October 24, 2011

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Wozniacki bows out of WTA event

Caroline Wozniacki fails to qualify for the semi-finals of the year-ending WTA Championships in Turkey but Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka go through.

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Baseball on BBC

How to listen to baseball on BBC 5 live sports extra

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ND1021115

Title: Customer Satisfaction Stays High for Beverages, Cigarettes
Description: Philip Morris and Reynolds American show gains as customer satisfaction with tobacco products picks up for a second consecutive year.
Page Content:
ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? Although U.S. sales continue to decline, three nondurable goods industries ? soft drinks, beer and cigarettes ? keep pleasing their U.S. customers, while looking toward Asian markets to boost their balance sheets, according to a report released today by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). A fourth measured industry, personal care and cleaning products, stabilizes after a rare drop last year, as companies seek the right combination of quality and value to suit customers aiming to stretch their dollars.
Overall, consumers are upbeat about their favorite soft drink brands, as the ACSI score for the industry ticks up 1.2% to 85 (on a 0 to 100 scale) and ties electronics (televisions and disc players) as the highest scoring among 47 measured industries.
?A wide variety of product offerings, product reliability, low unit price, and minimal buyer switching costs keep customers highly satisfied with their soft drinks,? said Claes Fornell, founder of the ACSI, in a press release. ?Add to this the fact that purchasing and consuming these products hardly requires any customer service assistance, and soft drinks come out on top.?
The industry's score is strengthened by small gains for the two cola giants ? Coca-Cola and PepsiCo improve 1% each to share the lead at 85 ? as well as a big boost for the category of smaller brands (store brands plus labels such as Faygo and Shasta). Following last year?s 7% plunge to 79, customer satisfaction with smaller brands bubbles up 5% to 83.
Customer satisfaction with breweries is stable at 82 for a second year. This is lower than soft drinks, but stays at a very high level. Two years ago, the industry hit a high point of 84, but a sizeable downturn for market-share leader Anheuser-Busch InBev dampened customer satisfaction overall in 2010.
?Beer customers tend to be more sensitive to price than those buying soft drinks,? said Fornell. ?Consumption of beer is also less than half of the consumption of soft drinks, which makes customer satisfaction more important for this industry.?
Customer satisfaction with tobacco products picks up for a second consecutive year, rising 2.6% to an ACSI score of 78. This year?s increase completes the cigarette industry?s recovery from a sharp downturn in customer satisfaction reported two years ago by the ACSI, when new tobacco taxes drove up retail prices.
?The quality of tobacco products has never been much of an issue for smokers,? said Fornell. ?Their satisfaction, instead, is highly tuned to changes in price, which is why the industry?s ACSI score is the weakest among nondurables.?
Both major U.S. tobacco players reap customer satisfaction rewards from their ongoing emphasis on price promotions. Philip Morris emerges as the industry leader, up 4% to an ACSI score of 80 ? the company?s best in 16 years. Reynolds American makes progress as well, up 3% to 77, but lags significantly behind Philip Morris.
?
Content Subject: Research
Formatted Article Date: #VALUE!

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Vettel seizes pole at inaugural Indian GP

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel will start from pole position at Sunday's Indian Grand Prix after another impressive display in qualifying.

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Aberdeen 1-2 Rangers

Second-half goals by Kyle Lafferty and Nikica Jelavic seal the points for Rangers against 10-man Aberdeen in a fierce Scottish Premier League match at Pittodrie.

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ND1028111

Title: ExxonMobil Offers Image Incentive Bonus to Marketers
Description: Company executives are also advising its marketers not to rush to sign brand conversion agreements with dealers whose performance is already sub-par.
Page Content:
IRVING, TEXAS -- ExxonMobil will offer its marketers cash bonuses in the form of a cafeteria-style image incentive program next year. The initiative, now in the final planning stages, is part of an effort by the major to upgrade the appearance of retailer-operated retail outlets and encourage the construction of more.
Traditionally, major oil companies reward retailers who meet their image standards with cents-per-gallon payments, usually spread over three or more years. The new bonus offers from ExxonMobil will be in addition to the company?s existing incentives, sources say. Currently, ExxonMobil pays 1 to 2 cents per gallon for image work at retail, depending on the type of projects and length of payout time. ���
ExxonMobil executives outlined their plan at the company?s national marketer meeting in New Orleans earlier this month.�The program, to be formally introduced early next year, will allow marketers to choose one payment from a menu of three additional offers for each station they operate:
  • A $5,000 payment for high-rise sign repairs or upgrades,
  • $5,000 for LED canopy lighting, or
  • $500 per dispenser for new decals, which may be capped per station.
Additionally, the company will pay marketers a $10,000 bonus if they bring a new store online by January 31, a payment that will increase to $12,000 per store for three or more outlets.
Retailer comments related to the new program were largely positive.
ExxonMobil executives also reassured attendees that the company does not plan to spin off its retail marketing business, as ConocoPhillips has done. It is in the process of selling its retail real estate and supply business to jobbers and expects that its stores will be 100% jobber-operated by year-end 2012.
Executives also offered marketers looking to grow their business a piece of advice:� Don?t rush to sign brand conversion agreements with dealers whose performance is already sub-par.
They said it?s one of the top mistakes they see with marketers: ?Jobbers tend to jump at any new business they?re offered, even to their own detriment. They said we have to learn to walk away from new business if the dealer who is offering it cannot take care of the business he has already.?
-������ Carole Donoghue (caroledonoghue@yahoo.com)
?
Content Subject: Petroleum Retailing
Formatted Article Date: October 28, 2011

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Muster takes final bow in Vienna

Former French Open champion Thomas Muster finally retires from tennis at the age of 44 after defeat at the Austrian Open in Vienna.

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ND1021113

Title: Walmart Enlarges Craft Beer Assortment
Description: The discount retailer will give the category more shelf space.
Page Content:
BENTONVILLE, Ark. ? Walmart is tapping into the craft beer craze by devoting more space to the category, Advertising Age reports. The discount retailer is the top U.S. seller of beer.
Former Walmart CEO Lee Scott noted that the move is ?clearly is in line with the fact we've got to make more space, we have to have more representation on assortment.?
With Walmart?s beginnings tied to price and assortment, ?you can't take an area like beer where people are moving to craft and ?under-assort? yourself because the person who is buying craft beer and wants that assortment will drive to Kroger and pay the 15 percent more,? said Scott.
Local stores will have input into which new craft beers to buy. ?I'll tell you how it happens at Walmart: You have a 26-year-old buyer who makes the decision. The vice president is supposed to do a walk-through with them on why did you do this how did you do it. ? [But] it is the buyer who is making that decision on those individual stores,? said Scott.
Currently, craft beer accounts for around 5 percent of the overall beer market, but its 14 percent growth is the only positive thing about the overall category, which has experienced a 2 percent drop.
?Anyone who thinks this has peaked, we've maxed it out totally, I got news for ya ? not yet,? said Benj Steinman, president of Beer Marketers Insights. ?Of course there is a theoretical limit and it is going to separate more out into winners and losers over time. But this is a trend that right now has the wind at its back.?
?
Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising
Formatted Article Date: October 21, 2011

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Williamson wants 2012 team gold

Great Britain�s five-time Olympian Alison Williamson says she would favour team success over individual honours at the London Olympics.

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Three New Flight Directors Chosen To Lead NASA's Mission Control

NASA has selected three new flight directors to manage International Space Station operations.

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NASA Sets Media Opportunities for Undersea Mission (Update)

Journalists will have the opportunity to cover the 15th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, from up close or afar.

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ND1024112

Title: California Adopts Nation?s First Cap-and-Trade Program
Description: The California Air Resources Board unanimously approved greenhouse gas regulations that seek to reduce pollution and address climate change.
Page Content: LOS ANGELES ? The California Air Resources Board on Thursday unanimously adopted the nation's first state-administered cap-and-trade regulations, designed to put in place air pollution controls that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Los Angeles Times reported last week that the ?complex market system for the first time puts a price on heat-trapping pollution by allowing California's dirtiest industries to trade carbon credits.?
Prior to making its decision, the Times wrote that the air board heard ?scathing comments? from union workers fearful of losing their jobs and ?a parade of industry representatives? who said that the regulations are anti-business. However, those comments were not enough; the eight-member board approved the measure with ?scattered applause,? and Chairman Mary Nichols said, "We've done something important,? adding, "Cap-and-trade is a new tool that for the first time allows us to reward companies for doing the right thing.?
Cap-and-trade is the centerpiece of California's climate change law that mandates a reduction in carbon pollution to 1990 levels by 2020. Beginning in 2013 the state's largest carbon emitters will be required to meet the caps or buy credits if they cannot. Phase 2 of compliance starts in 2015 and could include 85% of California's emissions sources.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released a statement noting that the vote last week was ?closely watched by other states and, if the program is deemed successful, it will likely serve as a model for future markets. The U.S. Congress has rejected a similar national program.?
At the NACS Show Closing General Session earlier this month, Tom Robinson, president of Robinson Oil Co. (Santa Clara, Calif.), took the gavel as the new NACS chairman. During his speech he commented how California has gone from an innovative fuel marketing state to a legislative and regulatory haven.
Gary Gero, president of the L.A.-based Climate Action Reserve, echoed this sentiment, noting that if California ?gets it right? on cap-and-trade, other states will be looking to follow suit.
"People watch what California does and do emulate it,? Gero told the newspaper, adding, ?Future cap-and-trade programs are going to pick up a lot of the design features we are implementing here. You'll see regional programs develop. They will put pressure on the federal government. It will send out ripples around the country."
Content Subject: Government Relations
Formatted Article Date: October 24, 2011

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